Tanya Holland recalls her family’s migration and how settling in California influenced her own brand of soul food. Asma Khan runs the only professional Indian kitchen with an all-female staff and her latest cookbook pays tribute to the women behind the food. When Sonal Ved decided to untangle the origins of Indian cuisine, she decided to tackle one specific dish — the samosa. Chef Johnny Lee steps back from Pearl River Deli to reassess the model, despite its accolades and notorieity. Jacques Pépin has been painting chickens almost as long as he has been roasting the poultry. Finally, peas are already at the farmers’ market.

California soul food, matriarchal Indian kitchens, chickens

Everything you wanted to know about good cooking and good eating from LA chef, author, radio host and restaurateur Evan Kleiman.

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Franco-Palestinian chef Fadi Kattan is on a mission to document and share Palestinian foods, traditions, and the work of home cooks. Filmmaker Peter Byck casts a lens on the maverick farmers and scientists working to solve the climate crisis. Chefs Sara Kramer and Sarah Hymanson bring the bold Mediterranean flavors of Kismet to a new cookbook. Cindy Carcamo reports on why California's once flourishing asparagus farms are disappearing.

'Bethlehem,' a farming meeting of the minds, asparagus

Author and illustrator Mark Kurlansky peels back the cultural, historical, and gastronomical layers of the onion. Jonathan Kauffman explains how "hippie food" went mainstream. Forget meat alternatives, Lukas Volger develops veggie burger recipes using whole foods. Flexitarian Pamelia Chia canvases chefs for show-stopping Asian vegetarian recipes. Forget meat alternatives, Alicia Kennedy unpacks the history of vegan and vegetarian eating in America. Two small voices sing the praises of seeds in the book A Fruit is a Suitcase for Seeds.

Veggie burgers, onions, Asian plant-based recipes

Memo Torres uncovers hidden gems and family-run businesses across Los Angeles. Adam Reiner takes a closer look at the products behind the tongue-in-cheek labels on the shelves of Trader Joe's. Olga Massov and Sanaë Lemoine have tons of recipes devoted to the limitless possibilities of the sheet pan. Farmer Laura Ramirez explains the seasonality of the avocado while chef Stephanie Izard sticks to local ingredients. 
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Trader Joe's private label, sheet pan recipes, avocados

We think you'll enjoy this episode of Life Examined, a KCRW podcast that explores science, philosophy, and finding meaning in the modern world. You're probably already familiar with Michael Pollan's writing on food and psychedelics. In this bonus episode, he talks with Jonathan Bastian about his study of how humans and plants interact.

Michael Pollan’s long, strange trip exploring food and psychedelics (from "Life Examined")

After she became a mom, journalist Angela Garbes shifted her focus from food to the invisible, unpaid labor that goes into raising children. On the podcast Your Mama's Kitchen, beloved author Judy Bloom opens her mother's recipe box and reveals her kitchen anxiety dreams. After traveling the world at a young age, Priya Krishna presents global recipes for a new generation of eaters. Climate advocate Puneeta Chhitwal-Varma shares low-waste recipes for maintaining a healthy diet and planet. Finally, Meredith Bell from Autonomy Farms balances raising animals and a daughter.

California soul food, matriarchal Indian kitchens, chickens

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